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1 – 10 of over 11000Yasuhiro Hirakawa, Kyoji Hoshino and Hiroshi Katayama
Recently, it has been recognized that production control systemsfor multi‐stage manufacturing processes can be classified into push‐typeand pull‐type systems. The push‐type…
Abstract
Recently, it has been recognized that production control systems for multi‐stage manufacturing processes can be classified into push‐type and pull‐type systems. The push‐type systems are commonly defined as those types of materials requirements planning system which utilize the forecast of demands. The pull‐type systems, on the other hand, are those where order quantities are determined on the basis of real demand. Describes a hybrid push/pull production control system, operated periodically, which combines the benefits of both systems. Discusses theoretical arguments in support of this system and numerical studies are shown to give insight into the system′s performance. Hybrid push/pull‐type systems can attain a higher degree of effectiveness if they are appropriately operated.
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Christopher Dawson and Andrew Henley
The purpose of this paper is to reassess whether individuals choose to become self‐employed for “pull” or “push” reasons, to discuss and describe ambiguities in this distinction…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reassess whether individuals choose to become self‐employed for “pull” or “push” reasons, to discuss and describe ambiguities in this distinction, with focus on differences between men and women, and draw conclusions for further conceptual work.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews current literature, from which specific hypotheses are developed. For illustration and evaluation secondary analysis is undertaken of an existing large‐scale data source available in UK Quarterly Labour Force Surveys over the period 1999‐2001.
Findings
It was found that 86 per cent state only a single reason for self‐employment. Response patterns differ significantly between men and women. Independence is the most commonly cited motivation but 22 per cent of women cite family commitments. “Push” motivations may account for as much as 48 per cent depending on interpretation. Men who report two or more factors tend to combine “pull” factors, but women tend to combine “push” with “pull”.
Research limitations/implications
Respondents may display recall bias. Potential ambiguity in the way in which respondents may interpret particular motivations points to the need for future detailed qualitative research, and questionnaire item development. Further work is recommended to assess whether conclusions hold in recent recessionary economic conditions.
Practical implications
Clarity between “push” and “pull” factors is important in the design of entrepreneurship policy, especially during a recession. Further work is needed to provide this clarity to inform policy design.
Originality/value
Few previous studies investigate reasons for choosing entrepreneurship using large, population‐generalisable data, and do not consider the conceptual ambiguities inherent in categorising motivations as either “pull” or “push”.
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Vanessa Quintal, Ben Thomas, Ian Phau and Zorana Soldat
The study aims to introduce a comprehensive segmentation instrument that incorporates the push–pull winescape attributes, providing a new perspective of the wine tourist profile…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to introduce a comprehensive segmentation instrument that incorporates the push–pull winescape attributes, providing a new perspective of the wine tourist profile and explaining their behavioural intentions in the Australian winescape.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review, focus groups and expert panels generated an extensive list of push–pull winescape attributes. Pen-and-paper surveys conveniently sampled 739 wine tourists at three wineries across three wine regions in Australia. Adopting push–pull winescape attributes as the segmentation base, cluster analysis identified four segments, namely, inspireds, self-drivens, market-drivens and inerts, and their behavioural intentions were examined.
Findings
Inspireds demonstrate both self- and market-motivation. Self-drivens exhibit self-motivation but limited market-motivation, whereas Market-drivens characterise market-motivation but limited self-motivation. Inerts are limited in both market- and self-motivations. At the Swan Valley, all four segments were identified, with Inspireds being the most willing to revisit and recommend to others and Inerts, the least willing. At the Barossa Valley, only two segments emerged. Again, Inspireds and Inerts were the most and least willing to revisit and recommend to others respectively. Finally, at the Yarra Valley, three segments were identified. Market-drivens were most willing to revisit and recommend to others, followed by self-drivens and lastly, by inerts.
Research limitations/implications
A comprehensive push–pull winescape segmentation base of wine tourists is introduced, which provides a more sophisticated profile of wine tourist segments than otherwise would be attained with conventional measures.
Practical implications
New insights into who the wine tourist is and what it is they seek from the winescape are vital to smaller wine producers whose best access to the domestic retail and export markets is through direct selling at the cellar door.
Originality/value
The empirically tested 18-item push–pull winescape instrument presents a comprehensive segmentation approach, which profiles wine tourists and predicts their behavioural intentions based on an extensive investigation of push–pull winescape attributes.
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Technology offers great opportunities to firms. Successfullybringing the benefits of technology to market and realizing favourablereturns requires a careful balance and management…
Abstract
Technology offers great opportunities to firms. Successfully bringing the benefits of technology to market and realizing favourable returns requires a careful balance and management of a host of factors. The critical test of such efforts occur where and when technology “meets the market”, resources and great efforts will yield returns only if one meets the market. Focuses on push versus pull marketing forces and their importance in technology assessment, policy, strategy, and the management of efforts to exploit technology successfully. It defines characteristics of push versus pull forces, addresses the importance of economic, social, political and technical forces, and discusses factors of importance to the marketing analyst and strategist. It provides force assessment guidelines and an evaluation and scoring worksheet to evaluate and summarize factors that will determine the success or failure of a technology based effort. In addition, this assessment scheme is useful in a variety of other situations and environments. Includes examples related to the private and government sectors.
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Andrew Miller and Adam Vanhove
Drawing on organismic integration theory, we aim to examine whether the reasons independent contractors choose contract work are related to their on-the-job motivation and job…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on organismic integration theory, we aim to examine whether the reasons independent contractors choose contract work are related to their on-the-job motivation and job satisfaction and whether their perceived support enhances positive (or buffers negative) effects.
Design/methodology/approach
We collected data at three separate time points from 241 adjunct instructors to test a moderated mediation model using bootstrapping analyses.
Findings
The positive relationship between pull factors (e.g. autonomy) and job satisfaction is fully mediated by the autonomous motivation contractors experienced at work. The inverse relationship between push factors (e.g. inability to secure desired work role) and job satisfaction is not mediated by autonomous nor controlled motivation experienced at work. Contractors' perceived organizational support does not moderate the relationship between either push or pull factors and autonomous motivation. Post hoc analysis shows a moderating effect of perceived supervisor support on the nonlinear relationship between push factors and autonomous motivation.
Practical implications
Recruiting individuals drawn to the benefits of contract work may have important implications for worker motivation, job satisfaction and potentially beyond. Moreover, organizations may consider whether existing support resources and infrastructure are appropriate for contractors.
Originality/value
Despite the abundance of evidence demonstrating the benefits of organizational and supervisor support among traditional employee populations, such support may be of limited value to those drawn to contract work.
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James Boyer and Annemarie Kokosy
This study analyzes how the innovation ecosystem helps integrate technology-push and market-pull strategies in the Industry 4.0 paradigm.
Abstract
Purpose
This study analyzes how the innovation ecosystem helps integrate technology-push and market-pull strategies in the Industry 4.0 paradigm.
Design/methodology/approach
This study investigates companies' involvement in the Industry 4.0 paradigm through technology-push strategies, and through both technology-push and market-pull strategies. The authors perform two econometric logit models to test the influence of collaborations with heterogeneous actors, research and university relationships, and relations with business incubator (the pivot actor) on companies' involvement in Industry 4.0.
Findings
The study empirically shows that developing relationships with a greater diversity of actors, collaborating with university and research laboratories, and developing intense relationships with business incubator increase the likelihood for companies to integrate both technology-push and market-pull strategies in companies' involvement in the Industry 4.0 paradigm.
Practical implications
This study provides insights to practitioners who are interested or involved in the new Industry 4.0 paradigm. The authors' study explains how specific features of an innovation ecosystem, such as complex interactions among actors, can stimulate creative ideas and successfully implement innovations to address Industry 4.0 challenges.
Originality/value
First, the authors confirm the role of the innovation ecosystem on companies' involvement in the Industry 4.0 paradigm. Second, the authors study highlights that the innovation ecosystem is a new relevant framework that enables companies to integrate both technology-push and market-pull strategies. Third, we provide empirical evidence about the role of business incubator on firms' strategies to get involved in the Industry 4.0 paradigm.
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Sarah Lubik, Sirirat Lim, Ken Platts and Tim Minshall
As traditional manufacturing, previously vital to the UK economy, is increasingly outsourced to lower‐cost locations, policy makers seek leadership in emerging industries by…
Abstract
Purpose
As traditional manufacturing, previously vital to the UK economy, is increasingly outsourced to lower‐cost locations, policy makers seek leadership in emerging industries by encouraging innovative start‐up firms to pursue competitive opportunities. Emerging industries can either be those where a technology exists but the corresponding downstream value chain is unclear, or a new technology may subvert the existing value chain to satisfy existing customer needs. Hence, this area shows evidence of both technology‐push and market‐pull forces. The purpose of this paper is to focus on market‐pull and technology‐push orientations in manufacturing ventures, specifically examining how and why this orientation shifts during the firm's formative years.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple case study approach of 25 UK start‐ups in emerging industries is used to examine this seldom explored area. The authors offer two models of dynamic business‐orientation in start‐ups and explain the common reasons for shifts in orientation and why these two orientations do not generally co‐exist during early firm development.
Findings
Separate evolution paths were found for strategic orientation in manufacturing start‐ups and separate reasons for them to shift in their early development. Technology‐push start‐ups often changed to a market‐pull orientation because of new partners, new market information or shift in management priorities. In contrast, many of the start‐ups beginning with a market‐pull orientation shifted to a technology‐push orientation because early market experiences necessitated a focus on improving processes in order to increase productivity or meet partner specifications, or meet a demand for complementary products.
Originality/value
While a significant body of work exists regarding manufacturing strategy in established firms, little work has been found that investigates how manufacturing strategy emerges in start‐up companies, particularly those in emerging industries.
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Data science lacks a distinctive identity and a theory-informed approach, both for its own sake and to properly be applied conjointly to the social sciences. This paper’s purposes…
Abstract
Purpose
Data science lacks a distinctive identity and a theory-informed approach, both for its own sake and to properly be applied conjointly to the social sciences. This paper’s purposes are twofold: to provide (1) data science an illustration of theory adoption, able to address explanation and support prediction/prescription capacities and (2) a rationale for identification of the key phenomena and properties of data science so that the data speak through a contextual understanding of reality, broader than has been usual.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review and a derived conceptual research model for a push–pull approach (adapted for a data science study in the management field) are presented. A real location–allocation problem is solved through a specific algorithm and explained in the light of the adapted push–pull theory, serving as an instance for a data science theory-informed application in the management field.
Findings
This study advances knowledge on the definition of data science key phenomena as not just pure “data”, but interrelated data and datasets properties, as well as on the specific adaptation of the push-pull theory through its definition, dimensionality and interaction model, also illustrating how to apply the theory in a data science theory-informed research. The proposed model contributes to the theoretical strengthening of data science, still an incipient area, and the solution of the location-allocation problem suggests the applicability of the proposed approach to broad data science problems, alleviating the criticism on the lack of explanation and the focus on pattern recognition in data science practice and research.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed algorithm requires the previous definition of a perimeter of interest. This aspect should be characterised as an antecedent to the model, which is a strong assumption. As for prescription, in this specific case, one has to take complementary actions, since theory, model and algorithm are not detached from in loco visits, market research or interviews with potential stakeholders.
Practical implications
This study offers a conceptual model for practical location–allocation problem analyses, based on the push–pull theoretical components. So, it suggests a proper definition for each component (the object, the perspective, the forces, its degrees and the nature of the movement). The proposed model has also an algorithm for computational implementation, which visually describes and explains components interaction, allowing further simulation (estimated forces degrees) for prediction.
Originality/value
First, this study identifies an overlap of push–pull theoretical approaches, which suggests theory adoption eventually as mere common sense, weakening further theoretical development. Second, this study elaborates a definition for the push–pull theory, a dimensionality and a relationship between its components. Third, a typical location–allocation problem is analysed in the light of the refactored theory, showing its adequacy for that class of problems. And fourth, this study suggests that the essence of a data science should be the study of contextual relationships among data, and that the context should be provided by the spatial, temporal, political, economic and social analytical interests.
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Anji Benhamed, Said EL Hajjar, Fatima Hamad Yaseen and Noamen Amara
This study explores how entrepreneurs modify their financial path(s) and go beyond job security to attain greater financial freedom. The present work examines the cash-flow…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores how entrepreneurs modify their financial path(s) and go beyond job security to attain greater financial freedom. The present work examines the cash-flow quadrant (CFQ) attributes and demonstrates the importance of the push-pull factors for an individual's quadrant transition in achieving financial freedom.
Design/methodology/approach
A hypothetical model and an abductive approach were used through regression models in a population sample of 260 Bahraini entrepreneurs. Fuzzy participatory cognitive mapping was also used to develop a conceptual model of financial path transition's decision making among entrepreneurs and study the impact of certain push-pull factors on the entrepreneurs' decisions.
Findings
The triangulated study identifies six categories of variables: financial freedom, workplace condition, independence, salary level, family life-building and retirement savings as key pull-push factors that significantly impact financial path transition's decision. Fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) extends our knowledge of the dynamics of CFQ transitions from a push-pull factor perspective. The results indicate no significant differences between the variables listed in the regression model and the fuzzy cognitive map model. Four categories of pull-push factors appeared as the entrepreneurs' top rankings when ordered by complexity, centrality scores and impact weight. These categories were workplace conditions, financial freedom, independence and salary level. The findings widen the scope of knowledge of each quadrant and rationalize how and why such factors impact quadrant decisions among Bahraini entrepreneurs.
Originality/value
Many studies discuss the CFQ model and consider its quadrants a specific method for identifying a unique financial path to generate income. A shifting quadrant occurs when individuals want to change their financial path and move beyond job security to achieve more financial freedom. Although this transition is well-established in the literature, the factors accounting for the individual's transition across quadrants have not received enough attention. This study fills this gap and calls for more in-depth investigations of this area to better understand the dynamics of CFQ transitions from a push-pull factor perspective.
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Sri Rahayu Hijrah Hati, Gita Gayatri and Kenny Devita Indraswari
This study aims to examine the interactive effect of the push factor from the conventional bank, the pull factor from the Islamic bank and the internal mooring factor of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the interactive effect of the push factor from the conventional bank, the pull factor from the Islamic bank and the internal mooring factor of the customers in influencing the switching behavior of two types of customer account holders, the conventional only and the mixed (conventional and Islamic bank) account holders, from the services marketing mix perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applied an explanatory research design. The data were collected via an online survey from 1,171 Muslim participants; participants consisted of conventional only account holders, Islamic bank only account holders and mixed (conventional and Islamic bank) account holders. The data were mainly analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Based on the account, the results showed that the three types of customers differ significantly in terms of the effect of the push, pull and mooring factors. The study also showed that the mooring factor, which is internal to the customer, is the most significant factor that inhibits customers from migrating to Islamic banks. The effect was observed for both conventional customers and those who hold mixed accounts.
Research limitations/implications
The study was conducted via an online survey, which reduces the representativeness of the sample. In addition, most respondents were urban dwellers and well educated, which might not represent the banking behaviour of Indonesian Muslim customers in general.
Practical implications
The study implies that to attract the conventional only account holder, Islamic banks should first weaken the mooring factors (the internal characteristics of the customers) that inhibit customers from switching to an Islamic bank.
Originality/value
The main contribution of the study is that it simultaneously identifies the push, pull and mooring factors that have the most significant impacts on Muslim customers' switching behavior from a conventional to an Islamic bank.
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